Postess with the Mostess. Squee!

Everything thing about this post makes me squeal with delight. In fact, I have been on cloud nine for the last 12 hours, barely stopping to sleep. I AM the postess with the mostess, simply because I feel like the luckiest blogger in the world, well, the www world anyway.

Yesterday I happened upon Altered Art Circus by Lisa Kettell at Barnes and Noble (Quarry Books, 2009, ISBN-13:978-1-59253-487-6; or on Amazon). I say 'happened' because I wasn't expecting to find it on the shelf yet. The publication date has been February 2009 for about the last year and a half, or ever since the author, Lisa Kettell of The Faerie Zine, invited me to submit a piece of art for the book's gallery.

At the time I started making this 3D sculpture representative of Marie Antoinette, my intent was to make Lisa a gift for all her work in our art group. I don't think I even knew then the book had a circus theme, or certainly I would have drawn on my great love for circus art! Nevertheless, I made the 18" 'Marie' in one day, and sent her east to live with Lisa. I never really believed the piece would make it into the book- either because of some mail disaster only I would experience or because it was edited out for being "no good." Every artist has those thoughts, especially one who has never been published in a real book until now. A 'real' magazine, yes. 'Real' books published via Blurb or Lulu, yes. But a real publishing house with a real editor (who didn't cut out my picture)? C'est Magnifique!

Here's a couple more links to my other Marie figures here and here. I have one still for sale on etsy, and I sent the rest off last summer in hopes of finding their way into Stampington's new Marie Antoinette magazine.

But as for being in Lisa's book, I am over the moon! And I share the Gallery with so many wonderful art friends like Bella and Wanda and Ann-Denise. And I share my page with the inimitable DeBriNa Pratt of Spark*Your*Imagination. Thank you again Lisa!

Another great art friend who roams these same circles is Viv Neroni of New York. Out of the blue (and I say that because I haven't been reading everyone's blogs as faithfully as I should) Viv sent me the most darling pin-keep (above), which I won in a contest on her blog. Viv and I swapped goodies once before. She makes the most darling tiny felted bears and paper clay figures and posts the most delicious photos on her blog. Viv is also Violet's 'new mom.' Violet is of the Blythe persuasion, and I only now realized 'V' is the perfect letter. No wonder Viv kept Violet's name after 'adopting' her.

The 'beady' looking photo (top) is a work-in-progress. It's starting with stringing assorted tiny seed beads from a bead soup by Beverly Gilbert of Gilbert Designs in Washington. I met Beverly at Art & Soul, Portland, in October and made two pendants in her class. It is tiny work that requires reading glasses and a task light. See that sliver of a curved beading needle? It's a wonder I can string anything. This strand so far is sort of a freeform Peyote stitch, which I am glad to have finally learned. It really is easy.

I'm planning to use the strand when fully-formed to encase either a 'jingle' shell as shown above or a piece of beach glass or some other shell and a tiny starfish, and that will form a pendant just like the amber one I made at A&S. But, shhhh! Don't tell. It's going to be a gift for someone special who favors shells.

So Excited! You'd Think I Just Got Published

These two amazing books are by and belong to two fellow artists and people I can truly call friends. I am so excited for them! Each is very different - the book and the person- and I feel privileged to say my art is in each book. The thrill of publication belongs solely to the artists, Jane Powell and Lisa Kettell. But, I'm so thrilled for them, you'd think they were my books.

Altered Art Circus is now available here on Amazon. You won't be disappointed. And I can say that even though my copy is not in my hands yet, for I have some of Lisa's original work as well as works by some of the other contributing artists.

Artist and Silver Bella founder Teresa McFayden reviewed the book here. Although I didn't get a mention there, I am just so happy with her review of Lisa's book. The circus animals by Lisa that Teresa shows on her blog are great, and interestingly enough, Martha Stewart just featured a similar project here by Katie Steuernagle, Matsutake on Etsy. And talk about full circle, Lisa was in the audience, third row, for the Martha taping that day!

The hand-made, 75-pp book above is equally impressive. Owner Jane Powell of Random Arts in Saluda, one of my favorite places, decided to host a collaborative journal project and even sent out some supplies to willing participants to get the ideas flowing. When the unique pages started flowing in from around the country and beyond, Jane knew she had something special.

So special is this book that Jane "donated" it for a fund-raising auction for the Saluda Senior Center and then Jane bought it back in a bidding war for $500.00! How great is that? You can see my "Sorry, Time's Up" page peeking out of the photo above and my finished project here. I hope I can get to Saluda again soon to see the entire book. Here's her story about it.

Published: My Cards in Take Ten magazine

My local stamp store, Stamping Day and Night in Fort Wayne, is always so kind to call when they get new art or stamping magazines in and to hold them for me since I travel. The latest call from Sarah and Lana was a special treat since they informed me I was published! When I picked up my little pile of magazines: Take Ten, Stamper's Sampler and Somerset Studio Gallery, all by Stampington and Co., of Laguna Beach, CA., yes indeed, there was my name and a greeting card I had made on p. 26 of Take Ten, Dec-Jan-Feb 2009.

The card uses the boy king stamp from Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous and a brown kraft library card/tag, pocket and envelope as well as puffy typewriter key stickers, an embossed initial paperclip, ribbon and several layers of papers to say "Smile-It makes people wonder what you've been up to." I'm smiling since I've finally gotten published by this major rubber stamping and art card magazine, the definitive arbiter in card-making.

Before I even drove away from the store, I discovered another one of my cards on p. 135 of the same issue. I used the template from an earlier issue of the magazine to make the "welcome baby" red dress card with buttons and ribbon added. I also made a matching blue bandana envelope, not shown. Naturally, I had to run back into the store to show off my other page!

I'm hoping this will bode well for the altered art, collage and jewelry I have submitted to Take Ten's sister publications, Somerset Studio (altered art), Belle Armoire (altered clothing) and Belle Armoire Jewelry, Somerset Holidays and Celebrations, and the upcoming Marie Antoinette magazine.

Now Available in Hard Cover, or Soft Cover, Written by Zoe Aarden, Edited by Me

No, I'm not on the wrong blog- although this is also posted on my Blythe blog, Blythe-O-Mania Untamed at http://bly-me.blogspot.com/- the above falls squarely under art and letters for me. You see, on page five of the hard-cover book above (or soft-cover, your choice) , my bio is featured with the lovely title of "editor." Now that's enough to make any journalism grad's heart go pitter-patter, but add to that my love of crochet and all things Blythe, and I am in seventh heaven right now!

I just ordered my own copy, and you can too, either from Blurb or on ebay. Here are a couple of links: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/96412/86152bae2d034fbb485997fd4e7c5f63 or http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180212105251. I have tried the hat pattern several times, and there are 21 other yummy crochet patterns. There are lots of great color photos and great Blythe settings. Congrats to author and photographer Zoe Aarden and her fantabulous editor, oh, eek! that's me!

Published, Well Sort of...Well, Actually, Yes!

This may be the most egomaniacal post yet, but I just had to say "hooray!" I'm published in one of my favorite national magazines, Somerset Studio, issued bi-monthly by Stampington and Co., in California. This gorgeous magazine is considered the altered artists' definitive manual by many, and it is certainly the most luscious kind of eye candy.

Now, before you start mailing issues for autographs, let me clarify by saying I had a letter to the editor published (Jan-Feb '08, p. 5). I know, it's not art. But, it's about art. And they chose my letter from surely hundreds. So I am excited and flattered. And, I'm hoping this will signal good things to come. Certainly, it spurred me on to pack up some real art, write up the necessary documents and get them ready to mail off to sunny CA. I'll keep you 'posted,' pun intended. And by the way, as I was uploading this, I noticed it is indeed my 200th post! Here's hoping my art can be as prolific as my words. Happy New Year everyone!